Exclusive Breastfeeding For More Than 4 Months Lowers Mother-To-Infant HIV Risk
Exclusive Breastfeeding For More Than 4 Months Lowers Mother-To-Infant HIV Risk. Breast Feeding HIV-infected mothers who exclusively breastfeed for more than the first four months of life have a lower risk of transmitting the virus to their babies through their milk. The finding came from scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. "Women who stopped breast feeding earlier than four months had the highest concentrations of HIV in their breast milk, and those who continued to breastfeed, but not exclusively, had concentration levels in-between the two practices." Babies generally have a 10% to 15% risk of receiving the virus through their HIV-infected mother's breast milk. However, since infectious diseases are widespread and often potentially fatal in sub-Saharan Africa, breastfeeding is crucial for keeping infants healthy. Several critical components that help developin...